Automatic car-coupling.



No. 771,105. PATE'NTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

- J. J. SWINT.

AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 9, 1904.

NO MODEL.

Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE J. SWINT, OF STROUD, ALABAMA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,105, datedSeptember 27', 1904. Application filed March 9, 1904. Serial No.197,354. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ESSE J. SWINT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stroud, in the county of Chambers and State of Alabama, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Couplings,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-couplings, and pertains especially to theclass of couplings having pinless interlocking jaws automatically lockedor coupled by the movement of the cars toward each other.

The object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling of such noveland peculiar construction and arrangement of parts that cars may becoupled automatically by bringing the cars together and held in coupledposition without employing coupling-pins or any such device and toprovide a coupling-head which will permit lateral as well aslongitudinal movement or play of the cars without becoming uncoupled. Y

With these and various other objects in view the invention consists inthe novel construction and arrangement of parts and particularly in thepeculiar shape or form of the draw-bar head.

In the accompanyingd rawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1is an under side plan view of the adjacent ends of two railwaycars withmy improved coupling applied there- Fig. 2 is an end view of the car,showing my operating-levers. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of oneof the draw-bars, showing my improved draw-bar head.

The same numeral references denote the same parts in the several viewsof the drawings.

The draw-bars and their attachments being the same in every particular,only one of them will be herein described in detail.

The bottom of the cars 1 and 2 are each provided with a block 3, holdingone end of a.

spiral spring 4, the other end of the spring having working therein aboss 5, formed on the rear end of the draw-bar 6. Adjacent said rear enda slot 7 is formed in the draw-bar for a pivot guide-post 8. Akeeper 9is provided through which the draw-bar works. A plate-spring 10 has oneend secured to the block 3, overreaches the spring 4, and its other endbears upon the draw-bar forward of the pivot-post 8.

The draw-heads being of the same construction and operating the same,except that one is placed in reverse position to the other, only one ofthem will be particularly described.

The draw-head 11 is formed by extending the draw-bar straight out from aconvex-concaved bumper-jaw 12 and terminating the straight portion 13 ina half-arrow-shaped hook 14:. The jaw 12 is of such length as to stopthe travel of the hook on the opposite draw-bar and confine said hook inthe opening 15, so that the two hooks will interlock and the said jawand hook form concaved bearings. The means for uncoupling from the topof a car and from the side thereof consists of a hand-lever 16, workingthrough an eye 17 and extending out to the side of the car and looselypivoted at 18 to a link 19, pivoted at 20 to the draw-bar. A hand-lever21 extends from the pivot 18 to the top of the car for operating thecoupling from the top of the car.

It is obvious that in coupling the hooks striking each other work thedraw-bars laterally on their pivot-posts and permit the hooks to dropinto the opening 15, where they are confined in locked position by thejaws 12. By working either of the hand-levers the hooks are unlocked.

It will be observed that the train in making sharp turns or suddenirregular motion the coupling will not be disturbed, as the pivotarrangement of the draw-bars permits suificient lateral play thereof toprevent uncoupling, that the openings 15 permit a longitudinal movementof the draw-bars, and the jaws prevent dislodgment of the hooks from thesaid openings. It will be further observed that in case of derailment ofan engine or car the device will readily uncouple, owing to the lateralmovement of the derailed car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic car-coupling comprising draw-bars having aslot bywhich they are pivoted to swing laterally and to slide longitudinally,plate-springs overreaching the slots and engaging the draw-bars toreturn them, draw- I 0 comprising links pivoted to the draw-bars, and

a pair of hand-levers pivoted together and to each of the links,substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twoWitnesses.

' JESSE J. swnvr.

Vitnesses:

W. C. BURKES, J. A. TnoMPsoN.

